In a highly disturbing incident that has sparked outrage, it has been reported that students at Andrahalli Government School in Bengaluru North were allegedly forced into cleaning toilets and scrubbing the walls of the restroom facilities. The incident garnered attention when videos of the distressing event went viral on social media, prompting concerned authorities to intervene.
The swift response from the education department led to the suspension of Lakshmi Devamma, the headmistress of the school, and the initiation of a formal investigation. According to the New Indian Express, the video shows pupils holding onto acid bottles and cleaning toilets with broomsticks. Furious parents and Kannada activists in the region protested outside the school on December 22, calling for stringent actions to be taken.
Addressing the incident, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar conveyed his concern and commitment to addressing the matter promptly. He announced that a meeting had been convened to inquire about the incident, assuring that strict action would be taken. “I will inquire about it and get the actual report. There was another similar incident in the past and we have taken legal action against it,” Shivakumar was quoted by PTI. Shivakumar stated that arrangements are in place to keep school restrooms clean and that students should not be misused in this regard.
Meanwhile, H. D. Kumaraswamy, President of the Karnataka State Janata Dal (Secular), took to “X” (formerly Twitter) to condemn the incident. In a post, he expressed deep shock over the incidents. He writes
“I was deeply shocked by the incidents of Andhrahalli Government School cleaning the toilet by children and Morarji Desai Residential School in Malur where the students were thrown into the pit of excrement. Both incidents are proof of how dirty our system and minds are.”
ಅಂದ್ರಹಳ್ಳಿ ಸರಕಾರಿ ಶಾಲೆ ಮಕ್ಕಳಿಂದ ಶೌಚಾಲಯ ಸ್ವಚ್ಚ ಮಾಡಿಸಿದ್ದು, ಮಾಲೂರಿನ ಮೊರಾರ್ಜಿ ದೇಸಾಯಿ ವಸತಿ ಶಾಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿಗಳನ್ನು ಮಲದ ಗುಂಡಿಗೆ ಇಳಿಸಿದ ಘಟನೆಗಳು ನನಗೆ ತೀವ್ರ ಆಘಾತ ಉಂಟು ಮಾಡಿವೆ. ನಮ್ಮ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆ, ಮನಸ್ಸುಗಳು ಎಷ್ಟು ಮಲೀನವಾಗಿವೆ ಎನ್ನುವುದಕ್ಕೆ ಎರಡೂ ಘಟನೆಗಳು ಸಾಕ್ಷಿ.1/4— ಹೆಚ್.ಡಿ.ಕುಮಾರಸ್ವಾಮಿ | H.D.Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) December 23, 2023
A similar event occurred earlier this month in the Kolar district, where children had been forced to clean septic tanks on the school premises. As a result of this incident, the principal and two staff members were suspended, as authorities took serious action against the unacceptable event.
–– with PTI inputs
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